Coming soon !

Mignonne Décor has secured an off-site art & workspace for our furniture renovation services. Located in the artsy enclave of Magnolia Street in Oakland, clients will soon be able to schedule time to preview upcoming stock pieces as well as consult with Johnelle on their design projects.

Our popular design and furniture revamping services have outgrown our boutique space and we felt it was time to expand into a separate area dedicated to the ongoing projects versus our finished pieces on offer in the boutique.

Johnelle Mancha, proprietaire, was just featured as a "Stylemaker" in Sunday's SF Chronicle's home section...Her unique design vision was highlighted and, whether you are looking to update one piece of furniture, have a room in your home ... or a business / retail space in need of transformation ... Johnelle can help bring your vision to life.

Read more about Johnelle HERE at SFGate.com.

sister store shenanigans ...

our store assistant, Rebekah Carey McNall, is doing a "stage" (stahj, fr.) ...which is somewhat akin to a work exchange program with our sister store, The Bohemians in Brantôme, France (the southwest region). This will likely be a program we introduce more formally each year.

As part of the program Rebekah structured and proposed, she will be designing four distinctly different window displays while in France. The shop has very unique, hand-forged windows lining the front of the store...these are about 8" panes of glass that are 6' or so tall. There are two dozen of these ... many of which are the original old wavy glass ... lovely to behold and they fill the space with beautiful morning light.

For her first installation, Rebekah chose a bird theme.. (knowing proprietaire Kim Mancha's love for all things oiseau!)...she wanted to arrive prepared to complete a window 'toutes-de-suite' and the ethereal, tissue-light birds that she pre-cut and tucked into here valise were just the ticket.

The birds flock around openings left in each window ... creating a spotlight effect on the mannequins posed in each window.

We think the result is very pretty and very, very 'printemps'! do you agree?

Love is in the air ... and so is Alma Chocolate!

Guess What??!!

Alma Chocolate has returned to Mignonne, exclusively for Valentine's Day!

Alma Chocolate is not just ANY chocolate ... Chocolatier and owner, Sarah Hart, was recently recognized as "The Next Rising Star" during The Next Generation Chocolatier show and awards, held in NYC in November of 2008. Several awards are bestowed for specific pieces of chocolate and flavor combinations, but the final award is the “Rising Star” award, which is meant to recognize the person who shows the most promise and is doing the most interesting things with their work. It’s meant to be a way to highlight an American artisan chocolatier who is someone to watch. They give it once every two years. And Sarah won.

Five years ago, Sarah Hart started playing with chocolate recipes, creating iconic molds and painting them in edible gold leaf. She perfected these treats the hard way, through trial and error. Instead of enrolling in culinary school, she found an instructor to come to her home. And eventually, Alma Chocolate was born.

Alma Chocolate uses fresh, fair-traded and organic ingredients to make chocolate you can believe in. And boy, are we believers ... From her artisanal chocolate molds to her unique and delectable flavor combinations ... Sarah's chocolates are one of a kind.

We've brought in a great selection of beautiful, chocolate works of art that will be sure to satisfy your chocolate-loving amour. Pick from boxed caramels (rose and habanero), solid chocolate heart or virgin mary icons, dusted with edible gold leaf, chocolate bars with nuts, nougat and sea salt dusting ... or the adorable dark chocolate bird lollipops pictured above.

You can contact us by phone or email with questions.

Hurry, hurry ... these will certainly go fast !

Bon Voyage to Kimberlee!

I'm leaving for my big French adventure! I depart early Saturday morning for Brantôme, a quaint village in the Dordogne know as the "Venice of the Perigord". Brantôme is less than an hour drive from Bordeaux and is located in an area rich with history and beauty.

With its "gastronomique" specialities, (foie gras, truffles, duck), the Dordogne is where foodies can savor the experience of fabulous cuisine and culinary delights. The region also boasts some wonderful outdoor activities such as biking, horse riding, kayaking, camping, fishing and generall appreciation of the natural beauty. The heart of mankind, Lascaux Caves, are a short ride away.

I am SO looking forward to enjoying the pleasures of a simpler life and the chance to escape from the stress and bustle of urban living and corporate pursuits. Hopefully I will find time to stroll through some of the old villages and visit the markets full of smells and sights most of us have thought long ago disappeared. My life will be anything but quiet, however, with my long list of many projects, including fixing up a 17c stone house, exploring my own new village, greatly improving my French, spending time expanding Mignonne's online shopping capabilities and writing the Je Suis Mignonne blog as well as my own personal blog ... and very importantly, searching for treasures to send back to Mignonne.

Not only is the region known for its gastronomique qualities, but it is teeming with brocantes and hidden treasures just awaiting discovery. Johnelle and I are very excited to have this opportunity to bring a splash of France directly to our customers in Old Oakland.

Wish me a big bonne chance!